Ever since I’ve heard it, I knew I was going to share this excellent teaching with you. It’s about three types of people… YESTERDAY’S MAN (King Saul), TODAY’S MAN (Samuel), and TOMORROW’S MAN (David).
Yesterday’s Man is someone you never want to be or become. First, we’ll look at YESTERDAY’S MAN, who was King Saul…
Saul was extremely impulsive by nature. He tended to overstep his bounds. He was disobedient to God on several occasions. And because of that, God rejected him and took the anointing away…
So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than on you.” 1 Samuel 15: 28
The Bible tells us that when the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, a tormenting spirit was sent that filled him with depression and fear. So to ease Saul’s troubled mind, his servants had brought in a musician who played soothing music with the harp. And that musician just so happened to be David. He played the harp, along with reciting prayers of praise and sorrows to the Lord while he was out in the fields tending his father’s sheep.
Being a shepherd is not rocket science, so David had a lot of time on his hands. But he used that time to develop an intimate relationship with the Lord. He also used this time to sharpen his talents and skills. The Bible tells us that David fought and killed lions and bears in order to protect his sheep. His prayers of praise and sorrow, better known as the Psalms, have comforted countless souls throughout the years. The Psalms give us a glimpse of the closeness and strength of David’s walk with God.
Anyway, back to King Saul. He lost the anointing. Saul became both rebellious and stubborn, so it’s little wonder that God finally rejected him and took away his kingdom. Rebellion against God is perhaps the most serious sin of all because as long as a person rebels, he closes the door to forgiveness and restoration with God. Verse 35 says that the LORD was sorry He ever made Saul king of Israel.
So here are some thoughts on Yesterday’s Man: If you don’t act responsibly with what God has entrusted to you, eventually you’ll crash and burn. But here’s the thing… A Yesterday’s Man may have all of the outward appearances of having God’s anointing; maybe they speak well, maybe they write godly things, maybe they sing Christian songs, etc. The Bible says that Saul was tall and handsome – he was an impressive-looking man. When people judge by outward appearance, they may overlook quality individuals who lack the physical qualities society admires. I guess the main thought is that you can appear to have everything going for you BUT not have God’s anointing, thereby making yourself Yesterday’s Man 🙁
So next we’ll look at TODAY’S MAN (Samuel)